Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas
Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas (born March 15, 1909 in Palanga , † November 26, 1954 in Butyrka prison in Moscow ) was commander in chief of the armed forces of the Lithuanian resistance , with the rank of brigadier general . Posthumously he was recognized as the de facto President of Lithuania .
biography
Jonas Žemaitis grew up in Raseiniai , where he attended the Raseiniai Progymnasium. In 1929 he graduated from the Kaunas Military School and between 1936 and 1938 he studied at the École d'Artillerie de Fontainebleau near Paris . He was given the rank of captain there .
On February 16, 1949 he was chairman of the council presidium of the newly founded resistance movement LLKS ( Lietuvos laisvės kovos sąjūdis ) and commander in chief of the armed forces of the resistance movement until December 1951 and again from spring to May 1953. In December 1951 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, as a result of which he was paralyzed and had to hide. His hiding place was betrayed on May 30, 1953, Žemaitis was transferred to Moscow and executed in 1954 in Butyrka prison.
souvenir
The Lithuanian Military Academy ( Lietuvos karo akademija ) has had his name since November 20, 1998 : Generolo Jono Žemaičio Lietuvos karo akademija . The Lithuanian Post honored him with a special stamp in January 2009 . On March 12, 2009 he was recognized by the Lithuanian Seimas as head of state for the period from February 16, 1949 until his death, he is now the fourth president of the republic.
literature
- Nijolė Gaškaitė-Žemaitienė: Žuvusiųjų prezidentas . Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras, 2005; ISBN 9986-757-13-4 ( Fallen President . Publishing house of the Center for Coming to terms with Genocide and Resistance in Lithuania)
Individual evidence
- ^ Lithuanian Parliament: Decision of the Seimas of 2009 (lit.)
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Antanas Merkys |
De facto head of state of Lithuania February 16, 1949 - November 26, 1954 |
Adolfas Ramanauskas |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Žemaitis-Vytautas, Jonas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Lithuanian President, Brigadier General and Commander in Chief of the Partisan Armed Forces |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 15, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Palanga , Lithuania |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 26, 1954 |
| Place of death | Moscow , Soviet Union |